The magical double. Crowned Ballon d’Or on September 22, Ousmane Dembélé won a new prestigious individual award this Tuesday. The Paris Saint-Germain striker received “The Best” prize for best player of the year, awarded by Fifa in Doha (Qatar) where PSG will challenge Flamengo on Wednesday in the final of the Intercontinental Cup (6 p.m.).
Elected by a vote of supporters, media representatives, captains and selectors of the national teams, the French international succeeds Vinicius, appointed in 2024. He also becomes the first French player to be crowned since Zinédine Zidane in 2003.
Named alongside his teammates Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Vitinha but also in competition with Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, the leader of the Parisian attack was acclaimed by his peers and fans. “I wanted to thank all my teammates, hard work pays off,” said the winner, present on stage to collect his trophy. “It’s been a fantastic year for me, individually and collectively. I also thank my family, my club, Paris Saint-Germain, the president, the staff and all those who work at the club, including Luis Campos. I hope to come back again next year,” concluded Dembélé with a smile on his face.
Luis Enrique also rewarded
A few moments before, the coach of “Dembouz”, Luis Enrique, was also awarded, logically winning the prize for best coach of the year. Appointed for the first time in his career in this category, the Parisian technician beat Hansi Flick (FC Barcelona), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Arne Slot (Liverpool) among others, to succeed Carlo Ancelotti, titled in 2024.
Unlike his star striker, Luis Enrique was not present in the audience this Tuesday in Doha, as usual during individual award ceremonies. It was his deputy, Rafel Pol, who appeared on stage to collect the trophy, without giving a speech.
